The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for monitoring unauthorized usage of a vehicle and, more particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus that detects conditions of a driver and a vehicle that indicate operation of the vehicle is unauthorized and provide a response to the detected conditions.
Unintended usages of a vehicle, such as a tractor trailer, include driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, driving of a vehicle when fatigued, driving of a stolen vehicle, deviating from a planned route, driving a vehicle into a restricted area, uncoupling a trailer at an unplanned location, and driving a vehicle in need of maintenance.
Driving of a vehicle by an impaired operator greatly increases the chance that the vehicle will be involved in an accident. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Standard #49 C.F.R. 392.3 requires fatigue impaired drivers to stop. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), one out of eight traffic fatalities in 1998 resulted from a collision with a large truck. Alcohol related fatalities accounted for 38% of all traffic fatalities in 1998. According to the Commercial Car Journal (CCJ) survey, 55% of drivers violate hours of service (HOS) rules by driving more than 10 hours without an 8 hour break. Stolen tractors and/or trailers cost fleet owners a large sum of money per occurrence. Vehicles may become unsafe when they are not properly maintained.
Prior art disclosures have dealt with monitoring vehicle drivers. Examples include detecting a drowsy driver by monitoring eyelid movement of the driver, detecting drowsiness by sensing meandering of a vehicle in a lane of a road, monitoring heart rate and skin vibrations to detect the mental condition of the driver, testing a drivers alertness by requiring the driver to move a turn signal lever in a sequence of requested directions, detecting intoxication by monitoring a driver""s iris, monitoring acceleration and deceleration and steering irregularities to determine a drivers fitness.
Prior art disclosures have dealt with tampering with a trailer. It is known in the prior art to sense penetration into a trailer. A camera and sound recorder is used during theft. One prior art theft prevention system monitors doors and alerts a central control.
It is known in the prior art to track travel of a long haul truck within an acceptable rectangular zone and report exceptions to a central control or generate an exception report.
What is needed is an interactive monitoring system that detects conditions that indicate unauthorized vehicle usage and provides for a response to the detected conditions that assures that the usage is not unauthorized or shuts the vehicle down.
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for monitoring unauthorized usage of a vehicle. One embodiment of the method of monitoring unauthorized usage of a vehicle concerns testing the competency of a driver to operate a motorized vehicle. A randomly generated number is displayed in the vehicle for a given period of time. A user interface is provided in the vehicle for the driver to enter digits that correspond to the randomly generated number. The system determines whether the driver has entered the digits that correspond the randomly generated number in a proper sequence within a given period of time. In the exemplary embodiment, a vehicle computer is used to generate the randomly generated number. The user interface is connected to the vehicle computer. A display is coupled to the computer for displaying the randomly generated number. The computer is programmed to determine whether the driver has entered digits that correspond to the randomly generated number in a proper sequence.
In one embodiment of the method of testing the competency of a driver to operate a motorized vehicle, a forward sequence notation or a reverse sequence notation is displayed. The forward or reverse sequence notation provides an indication to the driver to enter the digits in one of a forward sequence or a reverse sequence. The proper sequence corresponds to the displayed sequence notation. A driver reaction time may be logged when it is determined that the driver has entered digits that correspond to the randomly generated number in the proper sequence within the given period of time. The driver is retested after a given period of time. The driver may be required to enter a driver identification code before the randomly generated number is displayed. A new driver is tested when the driver enters a driver identification code. At least one of the driver reaction time and an ability to enter the digits that correspond to the randomly generated number are logged when the driver fails to enter digits that correspond to the randomly generated number in the proper sequence within the given period of time. A central control is notified when the driver has failed to enter the digits that correspond to the randomly generated number in the proper sequence within a given period of time. The vehicle may be disabled when the driver fails to enter digits that correspond to the randomly generated number in the proper sequence within the given period of time.
In one embodiment, a vehicle is disabled when a potential theft occurs. The system determines that a driver is not authorized to operate the vehicle. The system also determines that the vehicle has deviated from a planned route. The vehicle is disabled when it is determined that the driver is not authorized to operate the vehicle and has deviated from the planned route.
Variations of the method of disabling a vehicle when a potential theft occurs include tracking the location of the vehicle and notifying a central control location when it is determined that the driver is not authorized to operate the vehicle and it is determined that the vehicle has deviated from the planned route. In the method, the driver may be requested to enter an authorized driver code and route code within a given period of time. The system will determine whether an authorized driver code has been entered by the driver. The vehicle will be disabled if an authorized driver code is not entered by the driver.
In one embodiment, a vehicle computer and a global positioning system are used to determine that the driver is not authorized to operate the vehicle and the vehicle has deviated from the planned route. The vehicle computer has an interface that allows the driver to enter a driver authorization code. The computer is programmed to determine whether the driver is authorized to operate the vehicle. The global positioning system is coupled to the computer for determining that the vehicle has deviated from the planned route. The computer is programmed to disable the vehicle when the driver is not authorized and the vehicle has deviated from the planned route.
In one embodiment, a vehicle is disabled when a predetermined number of service hours is exceeded. The system determines whether an allowable number of service hours has been exceeded by a driver. A central control is notified when the allowable number of vehicle service hours has been exceeded by the driver. The system determines whether the central control provided authorization to exceed the allowable number of service hours. The driver is notified that the vehicle will be disabled within a given period of time when authorization to exceed the allowable number of vehicle service hours is not granted. The vehicle is then disabled.
In variations of the method for disabling a vehicle when a predetermined number of service hours is exceeded includes reactivating the vehicle by entering a valid drivers code. The driver code may be revalidated after a defined rest period has lapsed.
In one embodiment, a vehicle computer and a communication system are used to disable a vehicle when a predetermined number of service hours is exceeded. The vehicle computer is programmed to determine whether an allowable number of service hours has been exceeded by the driver. The communication system is coupled to the computer for notifying the central control when the allowable number of service hours has been exceeded. The communication system is configured to receive authorization from the central control to exceed the allowable number of service hours and to notify the driver that the vehicle would be disabled within the given period of time when authorization to exceed the number of allowable vehicle service hours is not granted. The computer is programmed to disable a vehicle when authorization to exceed the allowable number of vehicle service hours is not granted by the central control.
In one embodiment, a route traveled by a vehicle is controlled. An authorized route is defined with an acceptable deviation radius. When it is determined that a location of the vehicle is outside the acceptable deviation radius, the vehicle is shut down. A computer and global positioning system may be used to control the route traveled by the vehicle. The computer is programmed to define the authorized route with the authorized acceptable deviation radius. The global positioning system is coupled to the computer for determining location of the vehicle. The computer is programmed to determine whether the location of the vehicle is outside the acceptable radius. The computer shuts down the vehicle if the vehicle is outside the acceptable deviation radius for a predetermined period of time.
In variations of the method for controlling a route traveled by the vehicle, the driver and a central controller is notified that the vehicle has deviated from the authorized route. An interface between the driver and the central control is provided that allows the driver to request authorization to deviate from the authorized route. The system determines whether authorization from the central control to deviate from the authorized route is granted. The vehicle is allowed to deviate from the authorized route when authorization to deviate from the authorized route is granted by the central control. The vehicle is shut down if the vehicle fails to enter the acceptable deviation radius or obtain authorization to deviate from the authorized route from the central control. Emergency start instructions may be displayed when the vehicle is shut down. Control information may be displayed that allows emergency personnel to obtain a valid driver code and temporary route deviation code.
In one embodiment, a route traveled by the vehicle is controlled. A perimeter is defined around a restricted area. When it is determined that a location of the vehicle is inside the perimeter around the restricted area, the vehicle is shut down. The computer and a global positioning system may be used to define the perimeter around a restricted area and determine whether the location of the vehicle is inside the perimeter. The computer is programmed to define a perimeter around the restricted area. The global positioning system is coupled to the computer for determining the location of the vehicle. The computer is programmed to determine whether a location of the vehicle is inside the perimeter. The computer shuts the vehicle down if the vehicle is inside the perimeter.
In variations of the method for controlling a route traveled by a vehicle the driver, a central controller, and a restricted area site are notified that the vehicle is in the perimeter around the restricted area. The system determines whether authorization from the restricted areas site to enter the perimeter of a restricted area is granted. The vehicle is allowed to enter the perimeter of a restricted area when authorization to enter the perimeter is granted. The vehicle is shut down if the vehicle fails to leave the perimeter or obtain authorization to enter the perimeter from the restricted area site. Law enforcement officials may be notified that the perimeter has been breached. The vehicle may be reactivated by entering a valid drivers code and the temporary route deviation code. Emergency start instructions may be displayed when the vehicle is shut down. Contact information may be displayed that allows emergency personnel to obtain a valid driver code and a temporary route deviation code that allows the vehicle to be moved.
In one embodiment, uncoupling of a vehicle trailer is monitored. A planned trailer uncoupling area is defined. When it is determined that the trailer has been uncoupled outside the planned uncoupling area, the system determines the location of the vehicle with a global positioning system. Uncoupling of the vehicle trailer may be monitored using an onboard vehicle computer and a global positioning system. The vehicle computer is programmed to define a planned trailer uncoupling area. The global positioning system is coupled to the computer for determining the location of the trailer. The computer is programmed to determine that the trailer has been uncoupled outside the planned uncoupling area.
In variations of the method for monitoring a vehicle trailer, a trailer battery backup is activated. The doors of the trailer are automatically locked. The fifth wheel of the vehicle is automatically locked. Spring brakes of the trailer are automatically applied. The tires may be automatically deflated. The trailer battery backup, the doors of the trailer, the fifth wheel of the vehicle, tire inflation and/or deflation and the spring brakes of the trailer may be controlled by the on board vehicle computer.
In one embodiment, a location of the vehicle is monitored when the main electrical power that is supplied to an onboard vehicle computer is removed. The system determines a main electrical power supply is not available to the vehicle onboard computer. A battery backup is activated to power the vehicle onboard computer. The system determines the location of the vehicle using a global positioning system. The location of the vehicle is transmitted to a central control. An onboard vehicle computer, a backup battery, a global positioning system and a communication system may be used to monitor the vehicle location when electrical power supplied to the onboard vehicle computer is removed. The onboard vehicle computer is programmed to determine that the main electrical power supply is not available to the vehicle onboard computer. The backup battery is coupled to the onboard computer. The computer is programmed to activate the battery backup when the main electrical power supply is not available to the computer. The global positioning system is coupled to the computer for determining the location of the vehicle. The communication system is coupled to the computer for transmitting the location of the vehicle to a central control.
In one embodiment, vehicle maintenance is scheduled. Vehicle mileage is compared to a predetermined mileage required for maintenance. A number of hours a vehicle operation is compared to a predetermined number of hours of vehicle operation. An indication that maintenance is required is provided when the vehicle mileage exceeds the predetermined mileage or when the number of hours of vehicle operation exceeds the predetermined number of hours of vehicle operation. The system identifies the location of the vehicle and provides directions to a maintenance facility that is near the vehicle. An onboard vehicle computer and display may be used to schedule vehicle maintenance. The onboard vehicle computer is programmed to compare the vehicle mileage to the predetermined mileage required for maintenance and to compare the number of hours of vehicle operation to a predetermined number of hours of vehicle operation. The display is coupled to the computer for providing an indication that maintenance is required while vehicle mileage exceeds the predetermined mileage or when the number of hours of vehicle operation exceeds the predetermined number of hours of vehicle operation. The global positioning system is coupled to the computer for identifying the location of the vehicle. The computer is programmed to provide directions to the maintenance facility that is near the vehicle.
In one embodiment of the method for scheduling vehicle maintenance, service is scheduled automatically at a maintenance facility for the vehicle. The vehicle computer may be programmed to automatically schedule the service at the maintenance facility.